A Brewers Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just three weeks away, it is a good time to reflect on the things we are thankful for.  Hi, my name is Lou and I am proud to be a contributor to this Blog.   What are you most thankful for?  Many people would say things like, “My family and friends” or “this delicious meal”.  Those are great, but to me, it’s all about the 2011 Brewers.  We should all have a thing or two to be thankful for about this team heading into next season.  Here are a few things that I am thankful for going into the 2011 Brewers season:

 – Jeff Suppan won’t be on the roster    

My mom always said to never count my chickens before they hatch, but I have to believe that Melvin and Attanasio have learned this very expensive lesson.  Look, Suppan is a really nice guy but his best ERA as a Brewer was 4.62.  Needless to say I am very thankful that I will not have to see #37 on the mound this year.  I hated the move to bring in Suppan when it happened and I continue to hate it to this day.  You know I can throw an 80 mph fastball, but nobody has ever offered me $42 million dollars over 4 years.  Sorry Jeff, you really are nice guy, but the reality is that you are a below average pitcher who simply cashed in on a great playoff performance in the 2006 NLCS.

– The Outfield

Ryan Braun, Corey Hart, and Lorenzo Cain.  That sounds to me like a potential starting outfield for the MLB All-Star game in 2011.  If Prince goes away this off-season, then Hart and Braun would be picking up a lot of that Home Run slack.  I do not think this will be too tall of an order for these two.  This past season proved that this team is not short on run production.  Now we just need to give them a cool nickname like ‘Three’s Company’ or ‘Ron’s Rovers’.  I will start taking submissions for said nickname immediately.  Has to be something cool that all the kids will like.  Anybody remember ‘Vaughn’s Valley’?  If you do bravo.  I digress.

– Lorenzo Cain

How could we have asked for more from this kid?  He hit .306 and almost killed himself making that catch that was national news, you know the one.  You don’t remember?  Well, I posted it below.  I live in Seattle and I probably saw that highlight 50 times in a 3 day span.  There is no doubt in my mind that he has a bright future patrolling Center Field for many years to come.  Not to mention that million dollar smile.  Did I mention he is cheap too?  Plus he has an awesome action movie star name.

– Prince Fielder

     A lot of you might not agree, but this is a win-win situation we have here.  Should he stay, we get a 35 Home Run and 100 RBI guy back in the line-up.  When he goes, we are probably going to receive some quality players (hopefully pitchers) in return.  Plus, I am thankful for him giving us something to cheer for again.  Before he and Braun came around we where cheering for Wes Helms, Geoff Jenkins, and Brady Clark (I still love Geoff).  I will always be thankful for his walk-off Home Run against the Pirates on September 23,  2008.  For those of you playing the home game, that kept us in the race with the Mets for the Wild Card.  How could I not be thankful for that?

– Bob Uecker

Growing up, I think I always took him for granted.  Now that I live on the west coast I have realized how amazing he is.  I am also thankful that he will be returning to the booth with a clean bill of health.  This guy is a staple of the game of baseball and we are lucky to have him.  His performance in both Major League movies were terrific, obviously art does imitate real life.  It’s hard for me to not picture him passed out drunk, wearing a spousal abuser t-shirt, next to a bottle of Jack Daniels and his microphone every time the Cubs come to town.  Thank you Bob, for everything you do and have done for this organization.

Ron Roenicke is our new manager, which I am also thankful for.  Let’s face it, Macha was the equivalent of your “other” uncle who never really cared too much about you one way or the other.  Yeah, he was family so naturally you cared about him, but you were never really sure if he cared about you……at all………ever.  Roenicke seems like a really awesome step dad, one that it is easy to latch onto as your dad without that awkward “you’re not my real father” phase.  This team really needs a dad, not a sub-par uncle.  If Ken Macha was my uncle, I feel like he would come to my little league games but complain the whole time.  Or even worse, show no expression whatsoever.  Ken Macha, I am thankful you are not my uncle.

     I think this is what our fore-fathers would have wanted, everyone gathered around a dinner table with glasses of Miller Lite (or High Life, your choice), debating where Chris Narveson will fall in the rotation this year.  Many warm wishes to you and yours this holiday season.  I have been invited to the Fielder’s home for Thanksgiving, but sadly I will not be attending.  I do not know much about vegetarian turkeys and quite frankly I do not want to.  Until next time, gobble gobble.